SHIFT (Mackenzie Grey #1) (17 page)

“We should call Lucian. He probably has someone on the night shift there,” Jonah said and I quirked an eyebrow.

“The vampire?”

“Yes. He has many connections around the city and most of his bloodsuckers work whatever jobs they can get at night,” Jonah responded.

“You’re right. Call him and tell him to meet us at dusk,” Sebastian said.

“Isn’t he sleeping?” Amy asked.

“
They
don’t sleep.”

I ate enough for a whole village. I packed on two rare steaks with a double order of fries and a stack of pancakes. The waitress had looked at me funny until the three werewolves ordered almost the same thing. Poor Amy was the odd-man out with her tiny order of a country omelet. I was so full, I left my coat unzipped so I could rub my belly. Who was I to complain if the meal was paid for by the Brooklyn Pack? I ordered as if it were going to be my last meal.

We tried to kill some time after Jonah spoke with Lucian about meeting up at the Bridge. It was late in the afternoon when we finally decided to head out.

“There’s too many of us,” Sebastian said as we stepped out of the diner and into the ice box of New York City. “If we all walk into the hospital it won’t be inconspicuous.”

“What do you suggest, boss?” Jonah asked.

“You and Mackenzie go. She needs to be there because she’s the only who has met this Jane Hancock. I need to get back to the warehouse and try to get the Pack under control.”

I watched as Bash and Jonah made plans for me as if I was not there or my opinion didn’t matter. “Hello? What about Amy? She needs to come with me.”

“I’ll watch over Amy. No harm will come to her. She is now and forever will be under the protection of the Pack,” Sebastian responded and I felt as if a weight was lifted off my shoulders.

Now and forever. That was all I needed to hear.

“Bernard, I want you to meet with the tactical team that should be on the North East side of central park and go talk with the Fae again. Ask them what they know about a Jane Hancock and then report back to Jonah.”

“And to Mackenzie!” I chimed in.

“To Jonah,” he said with narrowed eyes.

“Whatever,” I mumbled as I rolled my eyes. I swore, if I was unable to run away from the Pack and their ancient laws, then I was going to start a freakin’ revolution.

I pulled Amy to the side as Bernard started to leave and Sebastian was talking logistics with Jonah.

“Are you okay with this?” I asked her. I was sure she could handle herself, but to be alone with Bash was even intimidating for me.

“Yeah, Kenz, I’ll be fine,” she winked at me.

“Wait. What does that mean?”

She laughed. “Chill out, Kenzie. There’s no hidden message, literally, I’ll be fine. Sebastian wants in your pants not mine.”

“Shhh!!” I put my hand over her mouth. “Wolf hearing!”

“Yeah, yeah, as if it weren’t obvious to everyone. Well, good luck with psycho Fae and come back in one piece and with a decision about your two lovers,” she giggled and pulled me into a hug. Damn Amy. She had no filter.

Once we parted ways, I walked side by side with Jonah down the street to the bus stop. It was awkward. We hadn’t really spoken since we left Cold Springs. So much drama happened in a short period of time, I felt silly stressing over it. We all just barely met, things shouldn’t be as high strung as they were.

“So what bus are we taking?” I asked, breaking the silence.

“I was thinking the 6 straight down Lexington. It’ll drop us off between 103
rd
and 104
th
. From there we’ll walk.”

I tried to listen to his heart beat or watch his facial expressions, but nothing. He was closed off from any emotion and it frustrated me. I didn’t care if he was happy, mad, whatever, I just wanted to know. It was stupid of me but I needed to know how to approach him. Maybe I was being too paranoid.

“Okay, cool…so—”

“Amy’s right, you suck at beating around the bush. Just spit it out, Kenz,” he said with a smirk. Good sign.

“I’m sorry. I just know things have been tense and maybe I’m over analyzing shit, but are we good?”

He sighed. “Listen, Kenz. I won’t say that I’m okay with you and Bash together but I won’t stand in the way either.” No wonder they’re best friends.

“There’s nothing between us!” I didn’t know why I jumped to say that. There was really nothing between any of us, but there was. Crap, this all just sucked.

“Are you sure? I don’t share, Mackenzie.” Whoa.

We reached the bus stop and waited with a few other people around us.

“We kissed.” Slight modification to the truth. Didn’t matter, I was about to drop a bomb. “And he said the same thing. That he wasn’t willing to share me, which I’m not asking either!” This was turning into a disaster of an explanation. “What I’m trying to say Jonah, is that I like you both but I don’t feel comfortable having to choose and for that, I’d rather not have either of you. We just met and we don’t know each other very well. I’m a total blabber mouth with a short temper and for all I know you might end up hating me once you get to know me. I mean, I would suck as a Luna—I hate doing laundry, and I—”

Jonah cut me off by grabbing the lapels of my coat and emptying the space between us. His lips smashed onto mine and everything I had just said, felt like a million miles away. What was I even talking about?

My mouth parted and his tongue swept in, melting me at his feet. With my hands trapped between our chests, he held me with such force, I was sure he wouldn’t let me fall—ever. I needed his stability, I was barely able to stand on my own at the mere taste of the peppermint he had put in his mouth not too long ago.

The cold air puffed out of me like smoke as he finally released me and I tried to catch my breath. Do these wolves not believe in restraint?

“Uh…” I tried to get my words in order. “Maybe, I, uh, wasn’t very clear. I babble, so I probably didn’t make sense, but—”

“I understood, Mackenzie,” Jonah said as his dimple peaked out. No fair. “But it doesn’t mean I can’t kiss you—even if it’s the last time—or a reminder of what you’d be missing.”

“Oh.” Was all I could say as he let me go and I tripped over myself. One thing was obvious, grace was not my middle name.

I cleared my throat and straightened up. Everyone at the bus stop snickered at me.

“Touch your nose, assholes,” I growled and turned my back on them. What did they know about my supernatural woes?

The bus ride was about forty minutes long and the walk to the bridge was another ten. Luckily he never brought up what happened and spent the whole time setting up a game plan. According to Jonah, I was to let him do all the talking and not get involved, much less make myself known to Lucian. I would have objected because let’s be honest, there’s not a silent bone in my body—but I was too busy replaying that damn kiss in my head so I just let him yap his gums.

It was just six in the evening when we arrived at the entrance to the footpath that led to Ward’s Island. Lucian was already waiting for us, dressed in his uniform of all black slacks and a button up. But this time he had an open wool trench coat on—black of course—with a pair of classic Ray-Ban sunglasses.

“Sun allergy?” I asked as we walked up to him.

“Hm, why yes, pet. It’s quite the handicap,” he purred and I couldn’t hold back a laugh. This guy was unreal.

Jonah nudged me and that was his way of telling me to make myself unseen. Yeah…that was going to be difficult.

“So you can get us into the hospital?” Jonah went straight to business.

The vampire snorted. “I wouldn’t have taken time out of my busy schedule to meet you all the way over here if I didn’t, Wolf. Please, give me some credit.”

“Stop playing games Lucian, this is serious,” Jonah barked out.

“So impatient,” I mumbled and he glared.

“I agree with you there, pet. He is quite
demanding
,” Lucian said as he winked at me.

“We have a lead and she’s in that mental institute. If you can’t be serious and help us not only find our kin but yours as well, then you’re wasting our time.”

“Oh really? Do tell,” the vampire smirked and leaned against one of the pillars of the bridge. He crossed his arms over his chest as if he was trying to be casual, but it only looked robotic.

Jonah took too long to respond so I jumped in. “Her name is Jane Hancock—I know, it isn’t original—but I think she’s Fae. Her son was kidnapped last week and we’re thinking it might be Branwell, the guy the Fae Queen said was missing. She called the police and told them everything—literally—so they locked her up in the psych ward. We need to find out what she knows.”

Lucian tsked. “Well isn’t that a mouthful.” He sighed. “But if the woman is unhinged, what makes you think we can trust her?”

“I didn’t say we needed to trust her, all we need to do is talk to her and see if her story adds up.”

“Tomato, tomatoe, it’s the same thing.”

“Lucian,” Jonah growled and I put a firm grip on his forearm to restrain him. “Just stop with the twenty one questions and get us into the hospital.”

“Oh my, young Beta. That’s not the correct way to approach someone you seek help from. Your kind has no manners, you’re such…animals,” he said and flashed his fangs at us with a smile.

Jonah crouched down and snarled. This wasn’t good.

With shaky legs, I went to stand in between the vampire and the wolf.

“Cut it out! What is wrong with you guys? We have people missing and you’re fighting each other?”

“Oh, I like her,” Lucian purred and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. He smirked at me as he licked his lips. Gross.

“No you don’t—don’t even look at her.” Jonah grabbed my wrist and pulled me behind him.

“Hey!” I snapped and jerked my arm back. “Everyone needs to stop trying to control me already. I’m not part of this goddamn Pack!” I yelled, and with wild eyes, I scanned everyone on the bridge until they settled on Lucian. “You,” I pointed to him, “we need your help, so let’s stop bullshitting and get to the point. Can you help us?” I was irritated.

His porcelain white skin was so smooth, it reminded me of the marble from last night at the library with Sebastian.

Lucian’s smirk never faltered as he watched me. His beady black eyes roamed up and down my body as he stood up straight. With the creepy glide from last time we saw him, he came towards me until he was only a foot away. His cold finger came up and trailed down my cheek in a caress. He felt like stone.

“
Quern tamquam ex matre
,” he hummed.

“W-what?” I stuttered. I froze in place and couldn’t even blink in fear that he’d do something—like bite me.

“Nothing, pet—I will help you—and only you.”

“No, Mackenzie!” Jonah yelled and his rough hands yanked on my arm. “You cannot trust a vampire!”

“Dude, get a grip. I don’t have to trust him to get the information we need, and if we can’t trust a vampire, then what the hell did we call him for?” I scoffed. I understood why everyone looked as if they were constipated, but if we wanted to find Jackson, we had to make certain sacrifices. I just had to protect my neck—literally—that’s all.

“Excellent point, pet.”

“Damnit, Mackenzie, why don’t you ever do as you’re told?” Jonah pulled at his hair. He was acting like I was going over to Iraq.

I rolled my eyes. “If I ever did what I was supposed to, I wouldn’t be myself. Now suck it up, buttercup. We need to chase every lead to solve this case.” I turned to Lucian who was still eyeing me carefully, as if he was in on some secret, “What do you need from me?”

“I want a lock of your hair,” he said as he diverted his gaze to his hands to clean his manicured fingernails. His response fell too quickly from his lips, like he was waiting to say it.

“Huh?”

A growl ripped from behind me and as soon as I turned around, I saw one white-hot Beta, barreling towards me. Stone cold hands gripped my arm and flung me like a rag doll behind him. With his palm out and no effort at all, his hand slammed into Jonah’s chest, sending him flying backwards.

“What the hell, Lucian?!” I yelled as I noticed the pedestrians crossing the bridge were now paying attention to us.

“Sorry, love, the wolves are very sensitive toward Lunas. Thank God, I didn’t bloody ask for a claw like I originally wanted,” he snickered and I wanted to stab him in the eye. A claw?

“You guys are so freakin’ weird,” I hissed and went over to Jonah who was just getting up. I rubbed his back and soothed him in hopes he’d relax. “Are you calm? If you want to save Jackson, I need you to relax.”

He nodded.

I eyed him for a moment before I was certain he wouldn’t have an outburst again and then turned my attention back to Lucian. “So why do you want a lock of my hair?”

Lucian diverted his gaze from me. “Do not worry, Lone Wolf, I will not do any voodoo or such. This is a personal matter and if you want my help, you’ll accept the exchange.”

I sighed. “Fine. You got yourself a deal.”

“Good,” he said and clapped his hands in front of him. “Now let’s start heading toward the looney bin before visiting hours are over.”

The walk across the bridge shouldn’t have been as long as it was—maybe it was the tension between my two companions—but I wished Amy would have been with us. She’d have said something to break the ice. Or at least made me laugh, like a-wolf-and-a-vampire-walk-into-a-bar joke—man I needed to google those when I got the chance.